


You are the Reason

by crimefightingspida



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Domestic Avengers, Fluff, Good Peter, Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2020-10-13 04:22:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20576381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimefightingspida/pseuds/crimefightingspida
Summary: Tony's whole world came crumbling down when Thanos won the first time, but what he found in the next 5 years he knew he couldn't lose. When the others approached him with a plan to save the world, he realized he couldn't stand losing Peter either. So what happens when Peter comes back, only to save the world himself instead of Tony? Endgame-compliant until it's not.





	1. Chapter 1

"Avengers . . . assemble!"

Captain America's battlecry began the fight against Thanos after the wizard - Dr. Strange, was it? - used his sparkly circles to transport the heroes from the Soul Realm to the battleground that once was the Avengers Compound. Peter joined as the now great army of soldiers fighting against Thanos for a second time sprung into action. Thanos' army ran forward as well. Ant-Man was huge, like in Germany. People and monsters were flying overhead, and weapons were flying everywhere.

Fighting ensued, and Peter was simply awestruck that he was fighting with so many amazing heroes alongside him. Wait a second, was that Captain America fighting with Mjolnir? and Hey, Thor has a sweet new axe. Huh.

Despite being surrounded by so many superheroes, monsters, and enhanced humans, Peter really only wanted to find one person. He had been snapped out of reality for five years, and the last time he had seen Mr. Stark, Peter died in his arms. He had to find Mr. Stark.

It was chaos. The battleground seemed to stretch on for ages, and the fighters on both opposing sides seemed to be numberless. Peter searched frantically as he continued to use the features Mr. Stark had installed into his new suit, the Iron Spider. Yelling, shooting, the clanging of weapons and the sounds of falling bodies filled the air around him.

Peter continued webbing up all kinds of monsters that he probably should have been more scared of. Mr. Stark was nowhere to be found.

"Karen!" Peter cried, wishing he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.

"Yes, Peter?" Karen faithfully replied.

"Where is Mr. Stark? I gotta find him! I haven't seen him since I died and I gotta see him!"

"Scanning for Tony Stark."

Peter fought Thanos' army for what seemed like hours while Karen completed her scan of the battlefield for Peter's mentor and friend.

"Scan complete. Mr. Stark has been located."

Peter's vision darkened slightly, except for the outline of a familiar figure that glowed blue. Mr. Stark's silhouette, lit by Karen's systems, glowed not 25 yards from Peter.

His breath caught. All of a sudden, Peter was overcome with feelings of relief as he saw Mr. Stark fighting Thanos' army with the other Avengers. Peter suddenly had no need to grieve a relationship that would never exist or develop between him and his mentor - Peter was back, and all they had to do was beat Thanos and then life would go back to normal. Peter would have his mentor, friend, father figure back.

He was forced to come back to reality, though, when the unthinkable happened: Iron Man was shoved aside into a pile of rocks by a huge creature fighting for Thanos.

On instinct, Peter ran and webbed the monster before it could deliver another blow. He pulled the monster backwards towards him as Ant Man stepped on it and crushed it. Peter's heart pounded in his chest as he approached the Man that just minutes ago, he wasn't sure if he would ever get to see again.

He pulled Mr. Stark up to a standing position, gripping his forearms.

"Hey! Holy cow! You will not believe what's been going on!"

Peter was finally reunited with his childhood hero. He could feel the word vomit coming already; it didn't matter that they were quite literally in the middle of a battle. He had his mentor back to talk to. Among the chaos, everything started to feel okay again.

"Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? Well, I must have passed out because I woke up and you were gone, but Dr. Strange was there, right? and he was like 'it's been five years, come on, they need us!' and then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing he does all the time…"

While Peter spoke, his mentor wore an expression Peter had never seen on him before. He looked almost proud? happy? content? Usually Peter worried he was annoying his hero. He felt none of that as Iron Man looked at Peter like he himself hung the stars in the night sky.

Then Tony Stark pulled Peter Parker in for a hug.

"Wha… what are you doing?"

Peter remembered the last time he thought Mr. Stark was hugging him. They were in the car and Mr. Stark leaned over Peter. Peter clapped his hand to Mr. Stark's back in reaction, to which Mr. Stark responded, "Not a hug, I'm just getting the door for you. We're not there yet."

But this? This was it. This was right. After losing him once, he supposed that Mr. Stark felt like they were 'there' now. Peter felt Mr. Stark grip him tighter, like he was afraid Peter was going to turn to dust in his arms again, and the only thing keeping him together was Mr. Stark's embrace.

"Oh, this is nice."

Around them, the battle continued. The hug stopped as the fight raged on around them and the two heroes rejoined the fight, each filled with a new energy and motivation.

The strategy now was to return the stones so that Thanos couldn't snap again and turn half of the world to dust. The gauntlet complete with the Infinity Stones was being passed from hero to hero as Hope and Scott Lang worked on their van.

Fires were burning everywhere. With every second, more soldiers on both sides were falling. Peter watched as the Black Panther, surrounded by purple energy, ran with the Gauntlet to keep it from Thanos.

Then he watched as the Gauntlet fell.

The Scarlet Witch fought Thanos while the Black Panther ran to retrieve the Gauntlet. A creepy looking creature lifted the gauntlet away from T'Challa by lifting the rocks from the ground and pulled them towards him while T'Challa sprang forward and took hold of the gauntlet.

Peter webbed himself towards the Black Panther and the Gauntlet. "I got it!" He yelled as T'Challa threw the gauntlet up towards Peter, who swiftly caught it as he swung by. He landed on the back of one of Thanos' warriors and watched as many more surrounded him as he held the future of the world in his arms.

Peter was now the target of Thanos' entire army. More and more warriors surrounded him until Peter knew there were too many for him to fight off. The other Avengers rushed to Peter's aid and started fighting Thanos' army as Peter frantically scanned for Scott's van.

Instead of the van, Peter's eyes finally met the eyes of his mentor's. He again remembered their interaction from five years ago. Peter, along with half of the universe, had been reduced to dust after Thanos snapped the gauntlet with all six Infinity Stones.

If the stones and the gauntlet had enough power to eliminate half of the universe in one snap, surely it would have enough power for Peter to snap and eliminate Thanos and his army?

The roaring battlefield fell silent. Peter knew exactly what he had to do.

Holding the gauntlet in his hands, Peter looked again at his mentor over the fighting that surrounded him. Mr. Stark looked scared; Peter knew that Mr. Stark knew what Peter was going to do.

"Pete!" Mr. Stark yelled.

"I -" Peter's voice broke. "I'm sorry.."

A tear slipped down Mr. Stark's blood stained face as he started forward. "You don't have to do this! Listen to me right now, kid. You give me that gauntlet right now! Don't you dare . . . we will find another way!"

Peter looked down at the fighting around him. His team was starting to lose. Captain America himself was thrown aside by Thanos as if he was no more than a doll in the titan's way. Thanos was quickly approaching Peter. Shaking, Peter realized it was now or never.

Peter looked up again at his mentor with resolve as his expression. Tears streaked down Peter's face and a shaky hand rose to wipe them away. He didn't want his mentor to remember him being weak in what he knew could very well be his last moment.

"Peter!" Screamed Mr. Stark as he quickly approached Peter. "Peter, no! I can't lose you again! I can't -"

Peter slid the gauntlet onto his hand. Electricity shot through his body and shook his frame. Thanos growled as he ran towards Peter and the rest of the onlooking Avengers.

The pain was blinding. Inhabilitating. Still Peter found it within himself to look up at his mentor who was helplessly and desperately flying towards him.

With a raspy, pained voice just above a whisper that shattered Tony's heart, Peter said, "I just wanted to be like you."

Then he snapped.

All around them, Thanos' army began disintegrating just as half the world had at the first battle against Thanos five years prior. The Avengers and Wakandans watched in wonder as the fighting began to cease. Finally, Thanos himself turned to dust with a final gasp of air. Peter staggered backward and relaxed into a pile of rubble.

The Iron Man suit disappeared around Tony Stark as he fell to his knees, unable to move. Unable to breathe.

Dr. Banner was the first person to reach Peter. He took hold of the gauntlet and tore it from Peter's hand. "He needs medical attention, now!" screamed Bruce. The Avengers gathered around and processed what had just happened. Colonel Rhodes and Pepper rushed to Tony's side.

"Oh, Peter," whispered Wanda. Bruce was working with Karen to get Peter's vitals as Bucky and Sam looked over his shoulder.

"He needs help! Someone get the Quinjet! He needs to get out of here!" Clint obeyed Bruce's orders and ran to fly the Quinjet closer so that Peter could be loaded on.

Tony gasped for air as Pepper and Rhodey pulled him to his feet. He willed himself to be moved, but his eyes were glued to Peter, his kid, as he laid limply against the rubble. This can't be real, he thought. There is no way this is real.

Pepper clutched Tony's hand to her heart so Tony could feel her heart beating. She cupped his face with her other hand. "Tony, you have to breathe with me, baby," She said gently. "You can't help Peter if you don't breathe."

Tony let his eyes drift from Peter to Pepper, meeting her eyes as she tried to help him control his breathing. As his breathing slowed, his senses returned. In that moment, Tony heard the quiet voice of Peter's AI relaying his vital information to Bruce.

"His heart rate is dangerously low, as are his blood pressure and blood-oxygen levels. Immediate medical attention is strongly recommended."

Peter was alive! Hurt badly, but alive.

Tony wrestled himself from Pepper and Rhodey's grips and ran to Peter's side, falling again to his knees.

"Kid, kid! It's me, Tony! Are you with me, buddy? Say that you're with me. Come on, Peter!"

Peter's eyes shifted to meet Tony's, but his body remained still. A groan escaped Peter's lips. Tony ran his fingers through Peter's bloodied hair.

"You're gonna be fine, kid. I gotchu. Bruce will take care of you. This will all be fine. It has to be." Tony didn't know if he was trying to reassure Peter or himself.

Tony was again pulled to his feet as the Quinjet was landed 20 yards from the group. "Sam, Bucky! I need you guys to lift Peter onto the jet. Be gentle and be quick."

Again, Bruce's directions were followed as Bucky scooped Peter into his arms and Sam cleared the path to the Quinjet. Tony followed quickly behind. Bucky, Sam, Tony, Steve, Thor, Pepper, and Rhodey boarded the Quinjet. The others would be able to get home with the Guardians, or the Wakandans, or something. Tony didn't care.

"Is he going to be alright? Tell me he's going to be alright, right now!"

Peter was laid on a medical bed towards the back of the Quinjet. He was quickly hooked up to an IV, and Bruce got to work stitching up some cuts on Peter's skin.

"Tony, I can't lie to you, I am not sure what is going to happen. I promise I will do my best, but I just don't know yet."

Tony couldn't breathe again. Pepper rushed to his side to try to calm him down. As she reached for his hand to clutch against her chest, he pulled it away and instead grabbed Peter's hand. Pepper ran her fingers through Tony's hair, urging him to stop his oncoming panic attack.

Tony was sure the only thing keeping him alive was the steady beeping of Peter's heartbeat monitor. He leaned his head into the crook of Pepper's neck. "I can't lose him again," he cried. "I can't lose him again."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> ok, so here's the thing. I'm just gonna go ahead and say that Tony never sold the Tower, and at some point after Civil War the team worked out their issues like adults, so the Avengers are living there. Tony and Pepper still can have their lake-house because it's cute. Also their child. Please forgive my canon-inconsistencies, it's for the sake of the story. If it gets hard to follow or unrealistic, feel free to let me know.
> 
> As for an update schedule, I have a general idea as to where I want this to go, but from now on I can't promise updates more often than once a week. Life is so busy with school, work, and whatnot. :)
> 
> Also, the title of this story is inspired by the Calum Scott song.
> 
> Enjoy!

The flight back to the Tower felt like it took ages.

Peter finally drifted out of consciousness as a result of the enhanced sedatives given to him by Bruce. "The more sleep he gets, the better. That's how his healing factor works - he has to sleep."

Tony knew Bruce was right. He did. But looking at Peter lying motionless on the medical bed would be an image burned into his mind for years to come. He looked so helpless. Tony felt so helpless.

Upon arrival to the Tower, Peter was quickly transported to the Med-Bay where a team of some of the finest doctors money could buy was waiting on standby. Bruce walked quickly alongside Peter's bed as it was being pushed by Bucky, and relayed Peter's vital information and condition to the head doctor, Helen Cho. Tony followed close behind, then Pepper, Rhodey, and everyone else.

Tony couldn't really hear what the two doctors were discussing, just bits and pieces here and there. Instead of focusing on the doctors, he focused on Peter, still sleeping on the gurney. "I'm right here, Pete. I won't leave you."

Tony heard Dr. Cho say something about emergency surgery. Eventually they got to the end of the hall and to the surgical wing. A member of Dr. Cho's team pushed open the large swinging doors, took Peter's gurney from Bucky, and allowed Peter and Dr. Cho inside. Tony kept walking to follow, only to be blocked by Bruce.

"Let me in!" Tony struggled.

"Tony, I'm sorry, but I can't do that. It's not safe."

"It's fine. He needs me! I need him! I can't just stay out here!"

"I'm so sorry, but you have to. You can see him after surgery, okay?"

"Dammit, Bruce! Let me see my kid!"

The next thing Tony knew, he was being guided to a soft chair in a different room. He didn't notice the tears staining his face, or the pains from his injuries in battle. All he cared about was being there for his kid. His kid that didn't even know how much Tony loved him, because Tony never told him. God, Tony was turning out to be just like his father.

Tony fought sleep even as the urge to close his eyes hit him. Instead, he anxiously watched the clock. Hours passed and Tony didn't say a word. He couldn't. Rhodey sat with him in the waiting room, since Pepper left a few hours ago to bring Morgan to the tower.

Rhodey finally decided to break the silence that hung over the room.

"Tony, talk to me, man. Are you alright? What can I do for you?"

Tony stared blankly at his friend. "Am I alright? I know you seriously didn't just ask me that. Because this isn't _alright. _In fact, I think this is the farthest thing from _alright,_ Rhodey. Hell. Do you know what I just watched? I just watched this kid - _my _kid - use the most powerful weapon in the world to take down Thanos and his posse. And at what cost? The kid sacrificed himself, Rhodes. He could _die_ because of this. He's sixteen. _Sixteen!_ And I let him do this! He cried out there, too. Do you know what that's like, to see that? He cried, and he _apologized _to me, like he had something to be sorry for, when I let him do this."

"Tony," Rhodey sighed. "This isn't your fault, you know that, right?"

"Well, then whose is it?" Tony yelled.

"_Tony_," Rhodey urged. "You can't blame yourself. You are trying to help the kid."

"His name is Peter."

"You're doing everything you can for Peter right now. Well, almost everything. You need to get some sleep."

"You really think I'm going to be able to sleep while no one is even sure if he is going to make it through the night?" Tony asked, his voice cracking at the last part of his question.

"You owe it to him to try. He needs you to be there for him, and you can't be hysterical like this when he wakes up. You don't want him to see you like this, Tones. You need to pull yourself together for him. Go shower, and get yourself some rest."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes while Tony considered Rhodey's words. Tony was dirty and gross and sore and tired, but somehow waiting on Peter seemed so much more important than any of that.

"I need to call Peter's aunt, she's gonna be worried sick."

"Tony, let me take care of that. Please. Just go shower, change your clothes, and get some sleep."

"Fine. I'm sleeping out here, though."

Tony stood up and left the room, feeling light-headed from lack of sleep and food, and probably as a result of the fight with Thanos. Tony pushed that thought out of his mind. He was fine, Peter was not.

As Tony left his little waiting room, he exited to the bigger common area that served as a waiting room for the entire Med-Bay. It was decorated with plenty of couches and chairs similar to the one he had just left. Filling every seat in the room, though, were the Avengers, eagerly waiting on news about Spiderman, who they had all come to love.

Some of the Avengers stood from their seats as Tony entered the common area. Thor spoke first. "How is the boy, Stark?" It seemed as though everyone was holding their breath.

Tony didn't think he could deal with this. Not right now. He breathed a quick answer, "Still in surgery. We'll letcha know," as he made his way through the crowd of his friends to the exit. He heard a collective exhale from the group, and some of them sighed as they sat back in their chairs.

As Tony stepped into the elevator to get to his penthouse, he turned around and faced the group of heroes. "Tony, whatever happens, please know that we are here for you, okay? Let us help you," offered a battered-looking Steve Rogers.

"I don't see how you can," Tony breathed on his way up.

When he exited the elevator, he was in his penthouse. Pepper sat on the couch in front of a muted TV. She was on the phone, but quickly ended the call when she saw Tony enter the room. She immediately stood and put her hands lovingly on his arms, looking him over. "You look like shit."

Tony didn't have the energy to quip back at her like he normally would. "Yeah, and I feel it, too. I'm going to shower."

Pepper walked with Tony to their shared bedroom, and while Tony showered, she placed a clean set of clothes for him on their bed. She also had F.R.I.D.A.Y. get some food brought to the penthouse.

When Tony finished in the shower, he changed into the set of clothes Pepper had laid out for him. He looked at himself in the mirror. He wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a black AC/DC t-shirt. Tony loved that shirt, and wore it often after Peter had been dusted by Thanos.

Tony remembered one day with Peter in the lab when Tony had worn the AC/DC shirt. Peter saw it, then had exclaimed excitedly, "Dude! Sick shirt! I love AC/DC!"

"Excuse me, did you just call my shirt 'sick?'"

"Uhh, yeah?" Tony had shot Peter a confused look. "It means it's cool, I, uh, I like it."

"You like AC/DC, huh?" Tony had smiled as Peter nodded vigorously. "Well, then, Fri, you know what to do." F.R.I.D.A.Y. had then started blasting song after song, and Tony and Peter had gradually stopped working and started standing on tables, playing air guitar and messing around.

Tony smiled at the memory for a split second before reality hit him in the gut.

"Any updates on Pete, Pep?"

Pepper sighed as she wrapped her arms around Tony's waist. "He is still in surgery. Rhodey called May, she is going to be here soon. Happy is picking her up." May had not been dusted after the first battle with Thanos, so she kept her old apartment that she had with Peter. She and Tony had spoken often over the five years that Peter had been gone, and they had grown very close. They shared old stories of Peter, and laughed and cried together. May felt like family.

"How is she doing?" Tony asked, though he suspected he knew the answer to his own question.

"Just about as well as you are. Here, eat something." Pepper held out a sandwich for Tony, who took only a couple bites before feeling sick to his stomach.

"I'm gonna go back down and wait for him to wake up. Are you okay to sleep up here with Morgan tonight?"

"As long as you get some sleep, Tony. I'm worried about you." Pepper kissed Tony softly on the cheek.

"I will. Rhodey's making me."

"Good," replied Pepper. "Now I'm going to sleep to. I'm sure we are in for a long day tomorrow. Goodnight." Tony kissed Pepper properly on the lips.

"Goodnight," he whispered as he left their bedroom.

On his way out, Tony stopped outside the bedroom directly next to his and Pepper's - Morgan's room. He quietly twisted the handle and stepped inside, making his way cautiously over to his daughter's bed. Morgan lay still, sleeping soundly. Tony placed a hand on her head and whispered, "I love you, Morguna." Pepper, May, and Tony had long since decided that Peter would love Morgan, and she would adore him. Tony thought of all the stories he had told Morgan about Peter, after she had seen his picture up on the mantle. Tony had promised her that someday soon, she would get to meet Uncle Petey. He wondered if that was still true.

When Tony returned to the surgical waiting room, Rhodey and May were waiting for him. May's face was streaked with tears and she looked frantic. _Understandable_, Tony thought. He felt frantic, too. He felt a surge of guilt take over him for letting this happen to May's child.

He walked into the room and shut the door behind him. When he looked up, May was reaching out to hold Tony in a hug, which he reluctantly and guiltily accepted. He held May, who wore an old Midtown sweater of Peter's, while she cried. No one said anything, they just held each other while May cried. Tony figured he had cried enough that night to last a lifetime.

After a few minutes, Tony couldn't bear it anymore. "I am so sorry, May. I never meant for this to happen, you have to understand. That boy means the world to me and I just _let him do this_ and -"

May cut him off. "Tony, this isn't your fault. Peter doesn't want you to feel this way, I promise. He made the decision to save us, even at his own expense. That's just how he is, is it not? There's nothing he wouldn't do for anyone."

"Damn that kid and his unconditional goodness," Tony whispered. May chuckled.

"He loves you, Tony, So much. He looks up to you. You know that, right?"

Tony knew. "He loves you too, May."

They released each other from their hug, and sat on chairs in the surgical waiting room. Before too long, Tony, May, and Rhodey were asleep.

A few hours later, Dr. Cho knocked on the door, waking all three of them. The doctor entered the room, looking exhausted.

"Good morning, everyone. I take it you are Peter's aunt?" Dr. Cho said, motioning towards May, who nodded. "Wonderful. I wanted to let you know that Peter is out of surgery. The operation was a success. If you follow me this way, I will lead you to his recovery room where he will stay until he wakes up and regains enough strength to be safely released."

"Is he going to be okay?" asked May.

"Last night was rough. He entered cardiac arrest during the surgery because his heart gave out because the power that coursed through him after the snap exhausted his body. However, we were able to resuscitate him and, though the next 24 hours will be critical, we suspect he will have a full recovery, thanks to his incredible enhancements. My expert opinion is that no normal human would have survived this. However, since he is enhanced, I anticipate no lasting impact,"

"Thank God." Tony whispered. He felt as though he could scream and sing and run and dance. Peter was going to be okay!

The pair followed Dr. Cho down the hall to Peter's recovery room while Rhodey went to update the Avengers in the common waiting room. As they entered Peter's room, they were greeted by the sound of Peter's heart monitor beating steadily and oxygen flowing through a cannula hooked to his nose. May ran to his bedside, grabbed his hand, and began to cry again. "I'm here now, Peter. We're both right here."

Tony and May each sat on opposite sides of Peter's bed in reclining chairs. May held Peter's left hand, and Tony held his right. They sat and waited for Peter to wake up. While they waited, May fell asleep at Peter's side, leaving Tony as the only one awake in the room.

He stared down at Peter as he slept. _He looks so young_, Tony thought. _So young and I let him do this._

Before he really realized what he was doing, Tony found himself talking to Peter. "Hey buddy, it's me, your old pal, Iron Man. Tony Stark. I'm not sure if you can hear me or not, but -" His voice trailed off.

"Here's the thing, kid. I've screwed up, like, big time, with you. You've turned out great, so I obviously don't mean that. I just . . . I can't be my father, you know? And, oh _God_, I can't believe I'm saying this to you while you're laying on a hospital bed . . ." Tony took a deep breath. "You mean so much to me, Peter. You're like my son. You're going to turn out even better than me, too, because you're everything I wish I was. You are strong, too, so you're going to come out of this in ship shape, right? Yeah, before any of us know it you're going to be climbing on walls and scaring the shit out of us again." Tony sighed again. "Well, this isn't coming out how I wanted it to. I know, imagine that, the Great Orator failing to express himself adequately . . . I don't know, kid. I just need you here, okay? I love you. You're going to be fine."

After three hours, Dr. Banner stopped by to check Peter's vitals and talk to May and Tony. "Tony, you're looking better this morning, and believe me, so is Peter. May, it's good to see you here."

"Shouldn't he be awake by now?" Tony asked before May could respond.

"It is not unusual that he is still asleep. The sedatives that we give him are modified to keep him under despite his heightened metabolism, and like I said earlier, his healing factor works best when he sleeps. Give him some time, and don't hesitate to call me if you get worried." Bruce calmly replied.

Tony and May both thanked Bruce before he left the room. Peter slept peacefully as his vitals climbed to normal levels. A couple hours later, Peter began softly stirring in his sleep.

"Is he alright?" asked Tony. "Should I call Bruce?" May let go of Peter's hand and started running her hand through his hair.

"He's okay, this is how he gets when he starts waking up from a deep sleep. He should be up soon." With those words, Tony sat up straight in his chair, directly facing Peter, who kept stirring. His heart rate gradually increased until his eyes fluttered open for a split second.

"Yes, Peter, good! Just like that. Now we just need you to keep your eyes open, okay? Look at me, Peter. I'm right here. You can do it." Tony held his breath and watched as Peter struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Fri, dim the lights," Tony demanded, his eyes not leaving Peter's. With the lighting being less harsh, Peter was finally able to open his eyes. Tears spilled over Tony's eyes as he smiled at Peter who met his gaze.

"Tony?" Peter asked, hoarsely.

"In the flesh," Tony smiled. Peter relaxed into his bed after glancing to his left and smiling at May. "You're going to be alright, kid."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've low key kind of gotten a little carried away with this story. Don't expect updates this fast, because you will be surely disappointed hahaha. Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know what you think!

Peter woke up in the middle of the afternoon on the day after he snapped Thanos and his army away.

At first, he was confused. Mr. Stark was talking to him, but he was nowhere to be seen. He sounded concerned. _Why is he so concerned?_ Peter thought._ I’m literally right here. _Then it hit him. The events of the past day came flooding back to Peter’s memory. Or was it the past five years? Dr. Strange had said something about five years passing before the battle.

Oh, yeah, the battle.

Peter remembered reuniting with Mr. Stark, then catching the Infinity Gauntlet when the _literal King of Wakanda_ threw it to him. What even was Peter’s life? He remembered holding the gauntlet, watching as Thanos’ army surrounded him from all sides, growing in number and overwhelming Peter. He remembered the moment he knew the only way out for him was to snap the gauntlet and cause Thanos and his crew to disappear, just as Peter and half of the entire universe had disappeared after the last battle with Thanos.

He remembered the look of panic and dread on his mentor’s face as Peter sunk into the debris after snapping.

Yeah, that’s probably why Mr. Stark seemed so concerned.

_There’s really no need for him to be so scared, _Peter thought. _I’m totally fine,_ he rationalized. After a minute or so, Peter realized his eyes were closed and that he was laying down. He tried to open his eyes and sit up straight, but his body felt weighed down and his eyes glued shut. Peter started to panic. Why wouldn’t his body move? Why couldn’t he even _open his eyes?_

Then came Mr. Stark’s concerned voice again. Peter forced himself to try and make out the words he was saying. “Is he alright? Should I call Bruce?”

Then another familiar voice answered, “He’s okay, this is how he gets when he starts waking up from a deep sleep. He should be up soon.” He felt May’s hand running through his hair.

Peter tried to wake up. He had to see May again and he needed to make sure Mr. Stark was alright. He tried again to open his eyes, but to no avail. He was suddenly aware of a high-pitched beeping, consistent with his heart rate, that was increasing in speed as Peter panicked. What if he would never be able to wake up again? He would never even get to see May again; he’d never get to tell her how much he loved her. He’d never get to order Thai with her after she burned another meatloaf. He’d never get to tell Mr. Stark how much he looked up to him, how badly he wanted to be just like him. Or how he’d even started to fill the hole left in Peter’s life that a father figure would have filled.

Peter fought against the darkness that filled his sight. He tried to pry his eyes open, and finally the darkness was overcome with a blinding light. Peter’s eyes immediately slammed shut again as he recoiled from the stimulus that overwhelmed him due to his heightened senses.

“Yes, Peter, good! Just like that. Now we just need you to keep your eyes open, okay?” Peter clung to his mentor’s voice, encouraging him on. “Look at me, Peter. I’m right here. You can do it.” The grip on Peter’s hand tightened. Peter wanted desperately to see his hero again. He couldn’t take the darkness anymore. In this moment, he needed Tony. “Fri, dim the lights.”

A calmness suddenly overtook Peter as he lifted his eyelids once more. This time, his body obeyed his mind and the room was pleasantly, dimly lit. Peter cast his eyes forward where they once again met the eyes that belonged to his mentor. Tony smiled as Peter looked at him. “Tony?” Peter asked weakly. He thought he saw tears staining the face of his hero.

“In the flesh,” Tony responded, smiling. Peter felt himself calm as his eyes then met May’s. He sat lazily back into his hospital bed, content with his surroundings. “You’re gonna be alright, kid,” Tony said as Peter slowly fell back asleep.

Tony dragged his free hand across his face, wiping his tears, as he relaxed for the first time since the battle against Thanos. Peter had woken up, and Tony had been there. For the first time in five years, Tony started to truly believe that Peter would be alright.

Peter slept for another few hours, and Tony and May remained at his side. May had a few calls she had to make for work, and Tony worked silently at Peter’s bedside on a StarkPad, answering emails and texting Pepper updates.

“Do you want me to update the rest of the Avengers in the waiting room?” Pepper had asked, after Tony told her that Peter had woken up and fallen back to sleep.

Tony sighed. He knew that once the Avengers knew Peter had woken up from surgery, they’d want to come visit. Tony knew that Peter would love being visited by _all the Avengers_ after fighting with them to save the world, but Tony wanted nothing more than a bit more time alone with his kid.

“Yeah, sure. Let them know he woke up, but tell them that no one is allowed to visit for today.”

“Got it. I’ll tell them they can come sometime tomorrow?”

“Love you, Pep. You’re the best.”

“I know. Are you going to be joining us upstairs tonight?”

Tony looked over at Peter, who slept soundly. He looked so young. So fragile.

“I don’t know if I can leave him overnight, Pep. What about dinner?”

Pepper responded immediately. “Sounds great. Morgan will be so excited. Join us in 20.”

Tony put his StarkPad down in his lap as Bruce walked into the room. May quickly ended the work call she was on and turned her attention to the Doctor.

“How’s he been? Has he woken up again?” Bruce asked as he checked Peter’s vitals while he slept.

May responded. “He’s been asleep for a few hours, now.”

Good,” replied Bruce. “It looks like his healing factor is working.” Tony looked at Peter’s exposed skin on his arms. Where cuts and bruises existed the night before, clean, healed skin existed now. In fact, the only evidence that Peter had been in the fight at all was in six burn marks on his left hand. Six burn marks for six Infinity Stones. Tony shuddered. Guilt overcame him. He could have prevented this. Somehow.

Bruce noticed Tony staring at the marks on Peter’s hand left by the Infinity Stones. “He’s obviously not completely healed yet. Give him time and I think we will see that he comes back stronger than before.” Bruce put his hand on Tony’s shoulder and said in a quieter voice, “He’s going to recover, Tony. He’ll be fine.”

After Bruce finished checking up on Peter’s vitals, Tony left to go eat dinner with Pepper and Morgan. He felt guilty leaving Peter, but May assured him it was fine. “Go, Tony. Your family needs you, too, and you need them. Peter won’t be alone, I’ll stay.” Tony asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to send some food in to May as he left to his penthouse.

“Daddy!” Morgan yelled as the elevator let Tony off into his living room. Tony scooped her up into a hug.

“Morguna! Have you been good for Mommy?”

“Yes! Mommy said that you won the fight!” Tony’s daughter looked at him proudly, but Tony couldn’t keep his heart from sinking. _Sure, we won, but Peter got hurt. He almost died._

“We sure did! What’s for dinner, you menace?”

“Mommy made baskettis!”

“Mmm, baskettis are my favorite,” Tony responded with a smile. He led Morgan into the dining room, kissing Pepper as he walked by.

“Baskettis, huh?” Tony asked his wife, who laughed. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Tony responded. Everyone took their seats at the dinner table, and started eating the spaghetti Pepper cooked.

“How’s Peter doing?” Pepper asked.

Before Tony could respond, Morgan gasped. “Uncle Petey?!” She yelled excitedly, looking anxiously at Tony for an answer. Tony laughed.

“Yep, Uncle Petey.” Morgan smiled. “Petey’s kind of hurt right now, though, kay, Morg? You’ve gotta wait to see him.”

Morgan’s face fell slightly. “Hurt?” She asked nervously. “What happened?”

It was Pepper who responded. Good thing, too, because Tony didn’t think he could. “Remember the fight Mommy and Daddy were in?” Morgan nodded. “Peter was fighting, too. He got some ouchies but he’s gonna be okay. Right, daddy?” Pepper looked pointedly at Tony.

“Right.” He said flatly. All evidence pointed that way, but Tony just couldn’t stop seeing Peter’s motionless form laying on the battlefield, gauntlet on his hand.

“I can’t wait to see Petey! I can’t wait!” squealed Morgan.

“Eat your food, then, bug!” responded Pepper.

Dinner was a refreshing affair for Tony, and after they ate and Morgan got washed up, Tony took her to bed. Once she was down, Tony entered his bedroom and took another shower. He changed into a fresh set of clothing and sat by Pepper on their bed.

“Are you going back down there tonight?”

“Yeah.” Tony sighed.

“You know he is going to be okay, right?” Tony sat silently and looked down at his hands. “He’s going to be fine, Tony.”

“I don’t want to leave him alone again.”

“Again? What are you talking about?” Tony looked up.

“I don’t know, Pep. Maybe if I had just stayed by him for a little longer, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Tony, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Totally serious?”

“This isn’t your fault. You know that, right? Tell me you know that.” Tony looked down at his hands again. “_Tony.”_

“Yeah, sure. Not my fault. Right.” Pepper sighed in defeat. “I gotta go get down there.”

“I love you, Tony.”

“I love you too,” Tony said as he walked out the door.

Tony walked silently to Peter’s room. When he entered, Peter was asleep and May was reading a book in her chair at his side.

“Did he wake up while I was gone?” Tony asked.

“Just for a second,” said May. “He went right back to sleep.” Tony sighed and sank into his chair, suddenly hyperaware of how tired he was. “Go to sleep, Tony. We both need sleep.”

She was right. Tony felt his eyelids drooping, and he knew that tomorrow was going to be a big day for Peter. Pepper had told the Avengers that they could visit him in his room, and Tony had a feeling a certain five-year-old would also be making her debut into Peter’s life. Tony smiled at the thought of the two of them interacting. Peter would be so good to her. Tony drifted off at the thought.

The next thing Tony knew, he was surrounded by burning fires and piles of rocks and debris. He was fighting against Thanos and his army, as were the rest of the Avengers. Tony shot and killed several of the Chitauri warriors with his repulsers, then thrusted himself into the air in search of Thanos or the Infinity Gauntlet.

“Fri, find me Thanos and his weird ass glove, please. Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Tony said as he shot at airborne robots and creatures while his A.I. completed her scan.

“Located Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet.” Both glowed blue in Tony’s vision, and he flew towards them. Thanos was chasing after the Black Panther when suddenly he dropped the gauntlet. Immediately the ground beneath the golden object lifted into the air as T’Challa grabbed hold of the gauntlet just in time to be carried away with it. Tony swore and started flying in to help, when a red and blue figure flew above the scene and snatched the Gauntlet out of midair when the Panther threw it.

“I got it!” Tony’s breath caught. It was Peter, he’d know that voice anywhere. Tony was overcome with a feeling of dread. He knew he had to get the gauntlet away from Peter, now.

Tony watched as Peter surveyed the battle scene taking place around him on all sides. He was frantically looking for something, likely the van that Scott and Hope were preparing for them to get rid of the stones. Before finding the van, Peter’s eyes found Tony’s. When their eyes met, Tony’s blood ran cold. Peter wore an expression on his face that Tony had never seen before. It was somber, and full of fear. _This kid is going to snap,_ thought Tony. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He had to _do something._

_“_Pete!” Yelled Tony. He couldn’t let Peter do this. He brought the world back for Peter. For his kid. Tony had to have his kid when this was over.

“I -“ When Peter’s voice broke, Tony inhaled sharply. “I’m sorry.” Tony didn’t fight the tear that slid down his face at those words. This can’t be happening. This _can’t_ be _happening_. Tony Stark wouldn’t _let_ it happen. Not to Peter.

Lunging towards the boy, Tony cried, "You don't have to do this! Listen to me right now, kid. You give me that gauntlet right now! Don't you dare . . . we will find another way!" Peter looked nervously at the battle going on below him. Tony knew that to Peter, this was the only way. His team was losing, and the world couldn’t afford to lose this battle twice.

Peter lifted his head so that he looked at Tony again. His dirty, bloody face was streaked by tears. Holy shit, he was going to do it.

Tony willed himself to move faster towards Peter. "Peter!" he screamed. "Peter, no! I can't lose you again! I can't -"

In that moment, Peter pulled the gauntlet onto his hand. Immediately, Tony could see the power rushing through him, destroying his body more with every second. He tried to scream at Peter to stop, but no words would come out of his mouth. Tony was forced to watch in silence as his kid was _dying_ right in front of him.

“I just wanted to be like you.”

Snap.

The battle slowed to a stop around them, but Tony didn’t notice. He just watched as Peter fell to the ground. Tony fell to his knees, unable to move his body as he panicked.

The Avengers surrounded Peter and Tony felt hands grabbing his arms on both sides. He couldn’t breathe. He could only watch as Bruce frantically barked out orders as he knelt over a motionless Peter Parker that Tony couldn’t save.

The world stopped. Tony couldn’t breathe. The gauntlet was taken from Peter’s hand. He looked dead. Tony broke free from the grips on his arms and ran to Peter’s side. He grabbed Peter’s good wrist and pressed his fingers to it, searching for a pulse.

“Peter!” Tony spit out between gasps of breath. “Peter, wake up! Come on buddy, you can do this.” No pulse. “Peter!” Tony cried. “You can’t be gone! No! I . . . I’m so sorry . . .” Tony started crying as he held Peter Parker’s lifeless body.

“Mr. Stark?”

Tony was confused. The voice was Peter’s, but Tony had just watched the boy die in front of him. Again, the voice returned. “Mr. Stark, are you okay?”

Tony shot upwards from his sleeping position in his chair. Standing over him was Peter, dressed in a simple hospital gown. “Mr. Stark? Hey, can you hear me? It’s Peter. We won, Mr. Stark, it’s okay, you’re having a nightmare. We did it.”

It was a nightmare, thank God. Peter was standing in front of Tony and he was going to be okay. Tony looked at Peter, stood up, and hugged him like he had on the battlefield before Peter snapped.

“I know we did, kid. I . . . I know.” Tony’s heart was beating so hard and so fast that Tony was sure Peter could hear it. “You’re okay, Peter.”

“I know. Are you okay, Mr. Stark?”

“I’m fine now, kid. Get to bed.” Peter did as he was told, and Tony sunk back into his chair, wiping a stray tear from his face. _Peter is okay_, he thought. _His kid is okay._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your patience with this story! I promise that from here on out, and especially on out, the plot will start to pick up a little. The Irondad/Spiderson fluff is just too fun to write :) Enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think!

Steve stared down at the Infinity Gauntlet from his spot on the couch. All six stones were in their places, and aside from some dirt and maybe blood from the battle a little over 36 hours, it was in perfect shape. Five years after Thanos used it to snap half of the universe out of existence, here it lay on a table in Avengers Tower. Not only that, but everyone who had been dusted was back, and the Avengers were reunited.

Well, almost.

Now that he knew Peter would be okay, Steve felt the weight of Natasha's loss deep within his heart. He stared at the Soul stone, wondering if somehow Natasha knew that they had won, because of her sacrifice.

_She should be here, _Steve thought, his breathing picking up pace. _She deserves to be here more than anyone. _Heavy grief turned to anger. Steve stood up from his spot on the couch, not bearing to look at the Soul Stone or the Infinity Gauntlet any longer. As he turned to walk out of the room, he all but ran into a figure standing behind him.

"Geez, Clint, you scared the shit out of me," Steve said, startled. He hadn't even noticed the super spy had entered the room.

"Language," Clint muttered. Quickly, his face fell and countenance darkened. "I miss her too."

Silence filled the room as Steve crossed his arms over his chest and Clint looked at the floor. They stayed like that for what felt like hours until Clint finally spoke again.

"You know, if it weren't for me, she'd still be here. She should still be here. It should have been me."

Steve looked at the archer questioningly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that she sacrificed herself for me, Spangles, she . . . she died and I should have."

"She sacrificed herself for all of humanity, Clint. It's not your fault she decided to do that." More silence. Steve decided that he couldn't bear not knowing anymore. He knew that Natasha had sacrificed herself, but he didn't know how. It was killing him; he had to know. "What exactly happened on Vormir?" Steve's tone wasn't accusing. Anyone could see that Clint was bearing the weight of what happened to Natasha, and that the guilt was eating him up inside.

Clint sighed. "You know that guy Red Skull?" Steve clenched his teeth and tensely nodded. "He guarded the Soul Stone. When we got there, he told us that the only way to get the Soul Stone is to sacrifice someone you love. I tried, Steve, I really did. She just -"

"Wait, say that last part again. What did Red Skull say about getting the Soul Stone?"

"Um, you have to sacrifice someone you love?" Clint asked more than said.

Steve looked over again at the Soul Stone. "A soul for a soul," he muttered. "A soul for a soul!" He repeated as he looked up again at Clint.

Clint recognized the look in Steve's face. It was the same look that Natasha gave him when she told him that the Avengers had a plan to go back in time and reverse what Thanos did. Hope. Clint broke eye contact with Steve, the memory too much for him in his grief.

"A soul for a soul," Steve repeated again. "Clint!" The archer looked up at Steve wistfully. "A soul for a soul!"

"Dude, a soul for a soul, yes. I promise I'm hearing you."

"It worked one way, for you to get the Stone after Nat sacrificed herself, right?" Clint nodded pensively. "Would it work the other way around?"

Clint thought back again to his memory with Natasha in Japan. "Don't do that," he had said. "Don't give me hope." Part of him still felt the same way now, as Steve was possibly offering a solution that would get Natasha back.

Steve could see the hesitation in Clint's eyes. "Don't we have to try?" He asked earnestly.

The super spy considered Steve's questions for another moment. "So what do we do? Hop on in the Quinjet and head back on over to Vormir with the Soul Stone and ask for Nat back?"

"Uhh, yes?"

Clint sighed. "I guess that's as good of a plan as any," he relented.

"It's the only plan right now, and I'm going to go for it. Are you with me?" Steve asked. Clint saw the fiery determination in Steve's eyes and knew there was no stopping him, only joining him.

"Yeah, Steve, I'm with you," said Clint. "Is it just going to be us, then?"

Just then, a robotic female voice echoed through the room. "Steve and Clint, Boss would like you to know that Peter is awake and wants to see you."

"Thanks, F.R.I.D.A.Y.," Steve said as he and Clint left the room and walked into the elevator that would take them to the Med-bay without prompting. On their way up, he said to Clint, "We'll see who else wants in."

The two men exited the elevator after it arrived on the Med-bay floor and were met by a crowd of Avengers standing in a semi-circle with Tony Stark at its center.

"Finally, you're all here," a very tired looking Tony said, not so subtly glaring at Steve and Clint as they walked in. "Peter's been resting a lot since he got out of surgery yesterday, and he's still pretty tired and fragile, so don't overwhelm him like I know you can, okay? And don't ask him too many questions. He's been through hell and back - don't make him relive it." Everyone pretended not to notice when Tony's voice faltered on the word 'fragile,' and no one mentioned his protectiveness of the young superhero. "Alright, he's not gonna be awake forever, so follow me, and remember what I said."

The group of heroes did as they were told and walked quietly behind Tony into Peter's room, where he sat up in his hospital bed next to his aunt.

"Hey, Mr. Stark," Peter said quickly, not looking up. When the door didn't shut, Peter looked up and watched as person after person entered his room until there was standing room only.

"Hey Pete, brought some friends. Hope you don't mind," was Tony's reply.

Peter looked around the room in poorly concealed wonder. Yeah, he had fought beside all these guys just a day prior, but still, this was _awesome_. Ned was going to flip.

"Mind? Why would I mind? This is awesome! Hey, guys!" Peter said excitedly. This earned a couple chuckles and some smiles from the heroes in the room, but they all wore an expression of concern. _Everyone's so concerned about me lately, _thought Peter.

"Hey Peter," Steve spoke first. "It's good to see you again, kid."

"Uhh, thanks," Peter responded. "It's good to be seen?"

Steve laughed, and the room seemed to relax as the heroes began to talk with Peter and each other. Wanda sat on the edge of Peter's bed and talked with May.

Peter relaxed back into his bed, even more in awe now than he was before as he talked to each of the Avengers. He joked with them and told them he was doing better when they asked how he was. Peter took a moment to live in the moment and to try and remember each hero that was in his room so that he could brag to Ned later. As Peter was taking note of the heroes in his room, his blood ran cold. Someone was missing.

Peter struggled a bit to sit up in bed as the past 20 minutes had made him more tired than he realized. After being told by Tony, May, Steve, and Wanda to lay back down he did as he was told. "What's wrong, Pete?" Asked Tony.

"Where's Natasha?" He asked, and was met with silence.

"Where is she?" He asked again. No one met eye contact with him, including Tony. "Mr. Stark?" He asked, not knowing if he really wanted to hear the answer to the question he didn't finish.

"Kid," he started to respond, not really knowing how.

"Why won't anyone answer me?" Peter was practically yelling now. "Where is she?" Sam looked at the floor, and Peter took that as an answer for his question.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Again, his question was met with silence. "How . . . when did this happen?" Peter looked around the room, waiting for someone to just _answer_ him.

"Vormir," Scott finally said. "She sacrificed herself getting the Soul Stone before we brought you back."

"She sacrificed herself?" Peter asked, sounding almost hurt. Tony hated the way Peter's voice sounded. Wanda swallowed and nodded sadly in response. "Well, we're going to get her back, right? You guys got half of the universe back, so Nat is coming back, right?" No one answered. Peter didn't notice the way Clint and Steve were looking pointedly at each other. "Right?" He asked again.

"Peter," said Tony quietly. "We can't just _get her back,_ it's not that simple." Peter was about to respond angrily when Steve stepped forward and grabbed Tony's forearm.

"Well, actually, it might be that simple," Steve said to Tony. Everyone in the room turned to face the pair. The tension in the room was thick.

"What the hell are you talking about, Rogers?" Tony said sharply.

"When Nat and I were on Vormir, the trade was her soul for the Soul Stone," said Clint.

"A soul for a soul," said Steve. Everyone was silent for a minute as they watched Tony expectantly.

"So, what? You've kept the receipt and now you want to make a return purchase?" Asked Tony finally.

"Actually, that's exactly what we are going to try to do." Responded Steve.

"And what if it doesn't work that way, Steve?" Retaliated Tony.

"Then at least we've tried. Don't we owe it to her to at least _try_?" Steve asked.

"We have to try," said Peter. "Don't you see that, Mr. Stark? We have to try."

Tony dragged his hand across his face. "Yeah, we've gotta try. You're right."

"I'll go," offered Sam.

"Me too," said Bucky immediately thereafter.

"Ok, us four," said Clint. "We just need the stone and we'll go."

"Get the gauntlet and bring it up to my lab, then. We need to get the stone out of it, and I'll need to make you something you can hold it with. I'll meet you there," said Tony. When he was done speaking, the Avengers began to leave Peter's room, saying their goodbyes as they walked out the door.

Tony was last to leave. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter said sleepily. "If I could help you, I would." Peter felt his body tire even more as he struggled to keep himself awake.

"Yeah, sure, kid. We will get her back," Tony said. "And hey, while they're gone, there's someone I want you to meet when you wake up."

Peter was confused. Who hadn't he met yet? He glanced over at May who was grinning excitedly. Did she know who it was? Seeing the confused expression on Peter's face, Tony laughed. "Her name is Morgan, and she's about this tall," Tony said, holding his hand flat a little less than four feet off the ground. "And she looks a bit like me, lucky kid," Tony finished with a wink.

_Wait a second_, Peter thought. "You have a kid?" He asked, excitedly. Tony smiled and nodded. "Oh my gosh! That is amazing! Can I meet her now? How old is she? You have a _kid?!"_

Tony and May both laughed. "Yep, and you're gonna love her, Peter. She's five now, and she's one half me, and one half Pepper, who, by the way, is also dying to see you."

"Can they both come down now?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Nope, you're too tired. I can tell," Tony said as he watched Peter lay his head against his pillow, apparently too tired to even argue. "Go to sleep. When you wake up, we'll have them come down."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you had a kid," Peter said as he smiled tiredly, not even fighting his eyelids as they started to close. Within seconds, he was asleep.

"Yeah, well, you weren't exactly here for me to tell," Tony said, and _God_, he wished he hadn't. Peter was likely asleep before he said it, but the words stung Tony as he thought of the living hell that was his world for five years without Peter in it.

May stood and put her hand on Tony's arm as Tony continued to look at Peter without moving. "I didn't mean that," Tony whispered.

"I know, Tony, and if Peter heard, he knows too." The two stood like that for a minute or two before May broke the silence. "I think you have another person to save," she said, smiling.

"Right," Tony said as he left the room, thanking May. On the elevator up to his lab, he thought of Peter and how upset he was when he found out that Natasha had sacrificed herself on Vormir. _Well that's ironic seeing as he put himself in quite a similar situation, _Tony thought, scoffing. Tony was upset, too, though, and was determined to do what he could to help get his friend back.

With the parallel between Natasha and Peter fresh on his mind, Tony entered his lab and saw the four men standing around the edge of a table whereon the Infinity Gauntlet was placed. Tony thought back to the last time he saw it, when Bruce tore it off of Peter's arm after he had snapped. Tony shook the image from his mind and approached the table, gathering the tools he'd need to extract the stone as he walked. When he got to the table, the men stepped aside, giving Tony space to work.

"So what's the plan?" Tony asked as he began to extract the stone.

"Well, we're going to fly to Vormir and ask our friend Voldemort if he wants his stone back," answered Clint.

"What's the plan for the rest of the stones?" Asked Tony. "Are we just going to keep them here?"

"No," answered Steve. "We'll need to return them." The Soul Stone was out of the Gauntlet and Tony placed it in a small container before beginning to extract the rest of the stones from the Gauntlet.

"Who's gonna do that?" Tony asked.

"We are," replied Sam and Bucky at the same time.

Tony finished extracting the stones from the gauntlet and handed the container with all the stones to Steve. "Alright, Cap, here you go. I'm gonna have Bruce help you guys out with the whole time travel thing since the machine I built was kind of destroyed yesterday."

"Are you sure about that? The last time Bruce tried to send us to the past it worked less than perfectly," Clint responded hesitantly.

"He knows how to do it now, it will be fine. Promise." Assured Tony. The four men thanked Tony. "Just don't get yourselves killed, and bring a time-travel suit for Nat." Tony said as they walked into the elevator to find Bruce.

"Don't die, return the Stones from where and when we got them, and bring Nat back. Got it," said Sam as the elevator doors closed. After a moment, Tony asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. how Peter was doing.

"Sleeping soundly, just like you left him," the AI dutifully responded.

"Great," Tony replied as he began walking to his penthouse. He entered the elevator and within seconds, he was let off into his living area.

Pepper was sitting with Morgan on the couch, working on a StarkPad as Morgan enjoyed a TV show. Both girls stood and hugged Tony as he walked into the room. Morgan quickly returned to the TV as Tony pulled Pepper aside into the kitchen.

"How'd it go today with Peter?" Petter asked.

"It went okay," said Tony. "He noticed Natasha was gone."

"Of course he did, she was his friend, too," said Pepper sadly. "What did he do?"

"He was pretty mad. Kept asking where she was."

"And you told him?"

"Scott did, actually. He beat me to it." Pepper sighed. "Peter asked when we are getting her back," Tony continued.

"What did you tell him?" Pepper asked.

"I told him it wasn't that simple, but Rogers disagreed."

"What?"

"I guess him and Clint were talking, and they've come up with a plan to get her back."

"Well, is it going to work?"

"I don't have a clue, Pep. They're going to try when they return the stones."

"You're not going with them, are you?" Pepper asked nervously.

"Nope, I'm sitting this one out." Pepper sighed in relief. "In fact, I made a promise to Peter that he'd get to meet someone while those guys are gone," Tony said, motioning to Morgan, who was still glued to the TV in the room adjacent to the kitchen.

"You told him? Was he excited?"

"He was so happy, Pepper. Just like we knew he would be." Tony smiled as he spoke, but his smile disappeared when he remembered what he'd said to Peter last.

Pepper noticed the shift in Tony's mood, but elected not to say anything about it. Instead she put her arms around his waist and looked up to meet his eyes. "When do we get to visit?" She asked.

"As soon as he wakes up," said Tony before kissing Pepper. "Fri? Let me know when he wakes up."

"Will do, Boss," The AI responded. Tony and Pepper brought lunch into the TV room with Morgan. Tony stayed with his family for the longest time since leaving to build the time machine on the Compound earlier that week.

After about four hours, the voice of Tony's AI came through over the game that Tony, Pepper, and Morgan were playing. "Sir, Peter has woken again, and he requests your visit with Pepper and Morgan."

"Thanks, Fri," Tony said as Morgan looked up at him.

"Peter? Like _Uncle_ Peter?" She asked.

"That's the one," said Tony. "Want to go say hi?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Morgan shouted, jumping up and running to the elevator door. Pepper laughed and Tony picked Morgan up and placed her on his hip.

"Well, let's go, then!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The plot at this point is entirely self-indulgent, so sorry if it's not as realistic as maybe it could be. I'm just still a mess after Endgame and this is my (un)healthy coping mechanism lol. And as always, thanks SO MUCH for the kudos and reviews!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry it's taken me so long to update this story! Life has been insanely busy for these last few weeks. I promise I'll make it up to y'all!

Tony hadn’t wanted to have kids.

Not in his playboy days, of course. But not before then, either. Ever since his dad, well . . . Tony didn’t want to have kids.

Occasionally, long ago, the thought would cross his mind. Especially when he’d wake up hungover next to a girl he didn’t recognize. Each time the thought came, though, it was quickly dismissed.

Tony Stark just wasn’t the father type. That was clear to see; anyone who knew Tony would have agreed with the sentiment. There is a type of person that makes a good father and Tony just wasn’t it, plain and simple. He was a genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, not a father.

And there was also the fact that, every time Tony envisioned himself having kids in his future, he saw himself turning out to be the kind of father that he himself grew up with. But no one had to know that.

So that was that, Tony Stark would live out his life childless. _Great,_ he would repeatedly assure himself, _less people to be close to. Less people to end up hurt._

Something changed, however, when Tony met Peter Parker.

He hadn’t meant to grow close to the kid. He just wanted to maybe mentor him from afar after the whole Germany fiasco. Nothing too involved, just spot him some cash and supplies when needed, and provide him with a better suit so he’d be safer.

Somewhere along the way, though, Tony’s intentions of keeping his distance had faded and something else had taken their place. Fondness, was it? No, more.

Before Tony and Pepper had Morgan, Tony would never have allowed himself to come to the conclusion that it was love. But now, Morgan was here, and she had taught Tony the love that he hadn’t realized he already had in a different way for a teenage kid from Queens.

The realization that Tony loved Peter came a couple years after Morgan was born. She had woken up in the middle of the night and walked into Tony and Pepper’s shared room.

“Daddy?” She had whispered, standing next to her sleeping father who was promptly awakened.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Tony had replied as he tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

“I had a bad dream,” Morgan had said as she started to cry.

Tony sat up in bed, lifted her up onto the bed between him and a sleeping Pepper. “Well, you’re safe now, okay? Let’s get back to sleep.”

Quickly Morgan had fallen asleep, leaving Tony alone in his consciousness. He had glanced at the clock. 2:34am. He had let out a sigh as he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come.

It didn’t come that night. Thoughts swirled around his brain at a million miles an hour until they settled on one subject.

Tony had replayed every memory he had with Peter while lying in bed that night, remembering how they had grown close just in time for Peter to be taken away in one snap by Thanos. Tony cried silently as his family slept, fearful that he would never see Peter again; fearful of how fiercely he loved the boy.

And Tony had let him die once, then almost die twice saving the world.

He quickly shook his head, willing the thought to exit his mind. Pepper grabbed his arm, and Tony looked down to meet her worried eyes. Doing so grounded him back to reality and out of his flashback. Tony lifted Morgan down to the ground from her position on his hip, and she ran ahead of them as they approached Peter’s hallway in the Medbay.

“Are you okay?” she quietly asked. Tony nodded, smiling.

This was about to be the moment that, just a couple days ago, Tony didn’t know if he would ever get to experience. He was okay.

Morgan, who was running excitedly ahead, stopped when she realized she didn’t know where she was going. She ran back to walk with her parents. “Are we almost to Peter’s room?” She asked, jumping up and down with excitement, earning a laugh from Tony and Pepper.

“Almost,” said Tony. He broke away from Pepper’s side as they neared Peter’s door.

“Morgan, honey, let’s wait right here for a second while Daddy makes sure Peter’s ready, okay?” said Pepper, taking a hold of Morgan’s hand. Disappointed, Morgan stopped walking and stood by her mother’s side. As Tony opened the door to Peter’s room, she stood on her tiptoes, trying to steal a look at Peter before the door closed behind her dad.

As Tony slid into Peter’s room, Peter sat up quickly in his bed. “Whoa, there, calm down, kid. It’s only me,” joked Tony as he helped Peter sit up against some pillows in his bed. Peter wordlessly accepted the help. Tony glanced over at the chair to Peter’s side that stood empty.

“She had to get back to work,” Peter said of May. “Half of the world just came back, so I guess they’re a little busy,” remarked Peter with a chuckle. Tony couldn’t help but wish May was here to see Peter and Morgan meet. He considered waiting until she got back until Peter asked with anticipation, “so am I going to get to meet your daughter now?”

Tony smiled. “Yeah, she’s waiting outside. Are you ready for more visitors?” He asked as he started towards the door.

“Obviously, I’m ready! You dropped the bombshell on me right before making me sleep so I’ve been waiting for _hours,_ Mr. Stark, and -“

“What was that?” Tony stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Peter.

Visibly nervous, Peter began to recap. “Uhh, I was just saying I’ve been waiting for a while -“

Again Tony cut Peter off. “No, skip to the part where you address me.” Peter wore an expression of confusion, unsure of what to say. “What did you call me?” Tony prompted.

Peter turned red. “Um, Mr. Stark?” He said (asked?).

“Peter,” Tony said, walking over to sit on the edge of Peter’s bed. His face was soft, yet stern. “Please, call me Tony. We - we’re past the whole ‘Mister’ thing, don’t you think? It’s Tony now, okay?”

Peter nodded and relaxed a bit. “Ok, Tony it is.” Peter smiled as Tony pat his knee, stood up, and started again for the door.

“Now, I have to warn you that Morgan has been absolutely _dying _to meet you for the past, like, five years, so she’s going to be pretty excited. Just let me know if it gets to be too much.”

_Five years?_

Time seemed to stop as the words hung in Peter’s mind. Five years? That’s how long he was stuck in the soul realm. That’s how old Morgan was. This could really only mean one thing - Peter was spoken of by Tony to Morgan while he was gone. Peter smiled at the thought of Tony telling his daughter about him. He wondered if Tony had any pictures of him to show Morgan, or if she knew he was Spiderman.

Peter was brought back to reality as the door handle of his room was twisted by Tony and, at that very second, a certain five-year-old with medium length brown hair and Tony’s eyes came bursting in through the door. “Uncle Peter!” She screamed.

Pepper laughed as she leaned into Tony’s side, his arm around her waist. Morgan ran to the edge of Peter’s bed.

“Hey, Morgan,” said Peter, looking Morgan up and down. He saw both Pepper and Tony in the girl. Morgan excitedly gazed up at Peter, clearly recognizing him, and threw her arms around him in a hug, giggling. Peter reciprocated using his good arm.

“Daddy, is this _Spiderman_?” Morgan asked excitedly, sitting herself on the edge of Peter’s bed.

Tony laughed. “Yes, this is Spiderman, but you have to be careful with him right now, okay? Why don’t you hop down and sit here,” he said, motioning to a chair at Peter’s bedside.

“I’m fine if you want to sit here, Morgan,” Peter said. “I want to hear all about you!”

The two talked and talked for a long time about anything and everything Morgan could think of. She told Peter of the lake house, and told some stories about Tony that made Peter laugh. They were a natural pair, Tony realized. Totally sibling-like. He shunned thoughts of how easily this could have been taken from him, and enjoyed the perfect moment with his _family._ Morgan obviously thought of Peter as family, and given the way Pepper’s eyes were glowing, Tony decided she felt that way about him, too.

As Peter listened to Morgan talk, his thoughts drifted. He never had siblings; his parents were taken from this world before they had to chance to have more children after Peter, and Ben and May had never talked about having kids before Ben was taken, too. It had never really bothered Peter, though, as he didn’t really know what he was missing. Ned didn’t have siblings, either, so even while at Ned’s house Peter had never really experienced life with siblings. However, his fondness for Morgan was immediate. He loved her already, he realized. He loved that realization, and vowed silently to protect her at all costs. She was already like the sister he never had.

_Wait a second, _Peter thought. _If Morgan is like my sister, then . . ._

He let his eyes drift over to Pepper and Tony, who stood smiling at the end of Peter’s bed. Peter smiled a little as he thought about Tony and Pepper as parents. It suited them well. As the couple was watching Morgan talk Peter’s ear off, Peter just gazed at them for a second, contemplating. Just then, Tony’s eyes met Peter’s. They held eye contact for a second, seemingly speaking to each other wordlessly. _Welcome to the family, kid._

“Petey! Are you even listening?” Morgan said sassily, and Peter returned his attention to her, laughing along with Tony and Pepper, who then came over and shared the chair that Tony previously had offered Morgan. On his way across the room, Tony put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and smiled before removing it and sitting down.

“Yep! I’m listening! Promise!” He said, laughing. Morgan continued her story.

Just then, voices were heard rapidly approaching Peter’s room from the hall. Words were not discernible, but Tony recognized the voices. Suddenly, Peter’s door was opened and Tony instinctively stood up from the chair he was sat in. Four figures entered the room, followed by one with red and blonde hair tied in a braid. Tony couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Miss me?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT HAS BEEN SO LONG I AM SORRY PLEASE DO NOT COME FOR ME. I am sorry! Life has been INSANE. Please let me know if you'd like me to continue this story because it's you all that motivate me. Love you. So sorry.

It was so amazing to have Natasha back. Suddenly the group felt whole again for the first time in five years. 

Shortly after Natasha arrived, Pepper took Morgan from Peter’s room as it began to fill with Avengers. The group of heroes excitedly began talking amongst themselves now that the Black Widow was back in the mix. When the initial hugs greetings with everybody had finished, Natasha was scolded pretty harshly by none other than Peter himself.

“Nat, I am so glad you’re back!” Peter said.

“Me, too, маленький паук,” was Natasha’s response. She smiled at him and ruffled his hair, earning a protective look from Tony.

“Never do that again, though, like for real,” said Peter, taking on a more serious tone. This earned a few chuckles and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group in the room.

“Do what?” Natasha asked, still smiling.

“I’m serious.” Peter sat up taller in his bed and the room quieted down. Tony looked concernedly at Peter as everyone waited for him to continue. “Don’t put yourself in that position again.”

“Peter -” Natasha started.

“Why didn’t you at least  _ try  _ to get the stone another way? One that doesn’t involve you sacrificing yourself, maybe?” All eyes were on Peter now. “You should be  _ dead  _ right now.”

A heavy silence took the place of the jovial chatter and ambiance that filled the room just seconds previous.

“That’s pretty rich, coming from you. Don’t you think, Peter?” Tony broke the silence after a few seconds. Everyone turned to look at him.

By now, blood had rushed to Peter’s face, turning him a bright shade of red. His hands began to shake. A brief silence once again took over the room, only to be broken by Tony.

“Yeah, I agree with you, kid. Nat, we all promised. Everyone would go in and everyone would come out, not just some of us. I can’t believe we were lucky enough to get you back again. But Peter, you should be... you shouldn’t be here either, do you realize that?” Tony saw Peter living and breathing in front of him, but still could not bring himself to say the word ‘dead.’ 

Peter picked his head up to look at Tony, only to find that every other pair of eyes in the room was now on him.

“Do you realize how lucky we all are to have you here with us after you snapped?”

Peter closed his eyes and immediately the events just before the snap started to replay in his mind. He felt the pain of the energy coursing through his body, threatening to tear it apart. Peter’s breathing became quicker and he heard his heart monitor pick up speed.

“Peter, are you okay?” Captain America’s voice freed Peter from his flashback. He forced his eyes open. 

“I’m fine,” he forced the words out as he slowed his breathing. 

“Are you sure, kid? We’re all right here, you’re not in danger.”

“I’m fine,” Peter repeated, sternly this time. “Really, I’m fine.”

Everyone sat in silence for a while, not really knowing what to do. Tony sat at the edge of his seat, eyes glued to Peter, who sat quietly, staring down at his hands in his lap.

“I think we should have dinner tonight, like old times? Now that we’ve got the gang back together?” Offered Bruce. Still, Tony didn’t look away from Peter.

“Uh, yeah, let’s do that,” said Steve. “I’ll go and make something up. Be ready at 6:00.”

One by one, each of the Avengers left Peter’s room. Natasha put her hand on Peter’s shoulder for a second before following the rest of the heroes. Once she left, Peter remained in his room with Tony still sitting at the edge of his seat.

More silence.

“I’m sorry,” Peter finally said, his voice quiet. “I’m - I’m sorry.”

Tony exhaled deeply. Guilt hung heavily over him.  _ I can’t be my father. _

“Peter,” Tony started. Upon hearing his name spoken by his mentor, Peter looked up. When his eyes met Tony’s, they once again fell to his hands on his lap.

Tony stood from his chair next to Peter’s bed and sat on the side of the bed, turning to face the young hero.

“Peter,” he said again, softly. “I’m not mad at you, I promise. I just...”  _ God, how do I even  _ say  _ this? “ _ I just can’t lose you, okay?”

Peter looked up at Tony again. This time it was Tony who couldn’t bear to meet Peter’s eyes.

“You’re not going to lose me, Tony. I’m fine.”

“I know. I know you are. You’re strong as hell, so you’re going to be back patrolling and pissing me off in no time.” Peter chuckled. Hearing his laugh made Tony’s heart feel lighter. “I just hate that I was so close to never having that again, you know?”

“I... yeah, I know.”

“Boss, it is 6:00. Your presence, as well as Peter’s, is requested in the main dining room.” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice cut in.

“Ah, dinnertime. Should be interesting if Yankee Doodle really was the one to cook it all up. Shall we?” Tony stood and held a hand out to Peter, offering to help him out of bed.

“Do you think I’m ready?” Peter hesitated. “Just a few days ago you wouldn’t let me readjust my pillow without your help.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Tony retorted, though both of them knew it was true. “Do you feel ready? I can have someone bring a wheelchair in if you’d rather.”

“I think I’m ready,” responded Peter. “Just…”

“I’ll help you,” said Tony.

Normally, Peter’s grip was iron and Tony couldn’t help him up without being inadvertently pulled down by Peter’s strength. This time, when Peter used his good hand to grip Tony’s hand and pull himself up, it was weaker than Tony had expected. Much weaker. 

Tony used his free hand to place a bracing hand under Peter’s elbow as he slowly stood up.

He felt so delicate.

When Peter finally got to his feet, he looked at Tony and smiled. “Let’s do this,” he said, starting for the door.

Tony kept a steady hand on Peter’s back, and still immediately was nervous as Peter started walking. “Slow down, kid, dinner isn’t going to be  _ that  _ good,” he quipped, hoping Peter couldn’t sense his apprehension.

Peter laughed. “I’m just excited to finally be out of this room!”

Tony smiled, sensing Peter’s excitement. Still, Tony felt torn. He was excited for Peter to be up and around again, but he was so anxious. Peter was just so close to being taken from Tony’s life forever; Tony didn’t know if he was ready to have Peter vulnerable again.

The pair stepped into the elevator which immediately started the descent to the main dining area. Peter let himself lean against the wall. In only a few seconds, a soft ding indicated their arrival on the correct floor and the elevator doors slid open.

They walked together into the dining room. Everyone was seated at the large ovular dining table, including Pepper and Morgan. Tony eyed two open chairs at the table, one for him at Pepper’s side and one for Peter, across from Tony’s seat. As Peter and Tony entered the room, the chatter stopped.

Thor immediately stood up to help Peter into his seat, beside Thor’s own. “Welcome, young spider!” he bellowed. It was only after Peter was seated that Tony left his side. The talking in the room resumed.

Tony walked around the table to take his seat next to his wife. She rested her hand on his thigh.

“It’s good to see Peter up and around,” she whispered to Tony. “Are you sure he’s ready?”

Tony looked at Peter across the table, who had entered a heated conversation with Clint and Wanda about the best movies from the 1980s.

“I don’t know,” Tony whispered back.

Just then, Steve and Bucky entered the dining room from the kitchen, bearing large trays of lasagna, salad, and a pile of garlic bread.

“Wow, Cap, that actually doesn’t smell awful! I think it’s going to be safe to eat!” joked Clint. 

“It smells amazing,” said Natasha as the food was placed on the table.

“Well,” said Bucky as he and Steve sat at the table with everyone else, “let’s eat!”

The team started to pass the food around the table, dishing up their servings as they went. As it got to Peter, he reached out to help himself when Thor put his hand out.

“Peter, allow me!” said Thor, dishing out a sizeable portion of lasagna onto his plate.

“Uh, thanks?” said Peter. 

When the bread made its way around, Bruce held the plate after taking his own slice. “Peter, would you like some garlic bread?” he asked.

“Yes please,” said Peter, reaching out to take the plate from Bruce.

“Let me get it for you, how many pieces?” said Bruce. 

“It’s fine, I can grab it myself,” said Peter.

“No, really, I insist. One piece? Two?” said Bruce.

“Two is great, thanks,” resigned Peter.

Bruce placed two pieces of garlic bread on Peter’s plate then passed the plate along to Thor. When the salad made its way around, Bruce again held the bowl and asked Peter how much he wanted.

“You know, I don’t need to be babied. I’m perfectly capable of getting my own food,” Peter said curtly, earning a few looks from the Avengers at the table.

“Oh, you’re right, Peter, sorry. Here’s the salad bowl, help yourself,” said Bruce. Peter dished up a serving of salad and began to eat in guilted silence.

When conversations picked up around him, Peter nudged Bruce. “I’m sorry, Dr. Banner. I should have just let you help me.”

“Peter, it’s fine. You’re right, you don’t need my help. I’m just worried about you,” Bruce said, turning to face Peter. “We all are.”

The rest of the dinner was full of joking and fun, and after it was finished, everyone stood to take their dishes into the kitchen to be washed. Peter stood slowly once most everyone else, including Tony, had left the room and collected his dishes. He started for the kitchen, only to be met after a few steps by Steve Rogers.

“Look, I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am 100% able to wash my own dishes, so if you’re wanting to take them, it’s fine, I’ve got it,” said Peter.

Steve laughed. “Peter, I’m not here to take your dishes. I know you’re ready for a lot more than people seem to think you are.”

“Wow, thanks, man. I appreciate it,” replied Peter.

“I guess I am still going to offer my help, but not with your dishes,” Steve said.

Intrigued, Peter responded, “What for, then?”

“I’d like to help you recover and regain your strength,” Steve said. “I’d help you lift and train to get back to where you were before Thanos.”

“You wanna be my personal trainer?” Peter asked.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” responded Steve. “Call me crazy but I think everyone here is a little bit invested in your future, and this is a way I know I can help.”

“You think I’m ready for that?” Peter responded.

“We’ll take it slow, I won’t push you too hard.” Steve smiled. “What do you say? Are you in?”

Peter thought of Tony’s face when he stood from his bed today. Proud, yes, but a bit worried. Well, maybe more than a bit worried. And then the whole hand-on-back thing all the way to his chair? And dinner, how no one trusted him to be strong enough to  _ dish up his own food _ . Peter felt fire burn inside him. He was ready to prove himself.   
  
“I’m in.”

“Great,” Steve replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, 6:00. Meet in the weight room on my floor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so we see the plot move a little bit along in this chapter. let me know what you think! thanks as always! <3


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